We must plan to expand nationally in the future. I reckon the Gold Coast should be next in and I like the idea of the Bears reborn on the CC as I think they were dudded by the NRL in the past. Wellington's a good idea too, for the health and future of international football and to stop the bleeding of kiwi youngsters to aussie clubs.
After that, I would be looking to relocate clubs from the overcrowded Sydney market into Perth and Adelaide. Wests Tigers is a natural candidate for Perth. If the club announced their intention to move to Perth four years in advance, you could build support over that time and the locals would know you are serious. One stipulation would be retaining the colours and logo (maybe with the WARL added at the completion of the move). You would start by playing a couple of games there one year with both teams in town for the week running clinics, establishing corporate ties, forging links with the WARL and so on. The next year, play four games there, including one featuring a big name opponent. The third year play six there with another big name opponent featuring in one of them. As the support grows, get into the schools and establish a junior competition.
In the fourth year, I'd move there fulltime but play two homegames in Sydney on an ongoing basis as a reward for supporters there. Sydney members could be offered deals where they get free admission to these games and the away games the club plays in NSW. Throw in free travel on public transport. The club would train and stay in their old areas (Leichardt and Campbelltown) to run clinics and bolster support.
An important consideration in this prooposal would be NRL TV coveragein WA. I don't know what it's like at the moment but knowing Nein's record, I would suspect that they don't get Friday Night Football at 8.30pm and Sunday afternoon coverage at 4.00pm. If the NRL wanted it to happen, they'd have to get off their arse and enlist the support of their corporate partners, namely Nein. Unless the locals can follow the NRL and their would-be team, the move is likely to falter and fail.
It's not hard, it just requires some imagination and there's a motza to be made, both for the club and the NRL.
Now, I realise I'm probably going to cop some serious vitriol from Tiger supporters and I can only urge them to look at the bigger picture. You still get two home games a year and members get free travel and entry to 10 or so 'away' games in NSW, most in the Sydney area. On top of this, the club will grow bigger and better by broadening its base and opening up a whole new market with an entire state behind them in addition to the support they currently enjoy.
And yeah, there are going to be holes in my plan but it's a blueprint, broad brushstrokes that can be tweaked and fine-tuned to fit the circumstances.
After that, I would be looking to relocate clubs from the overcrowded Sydney market into Perth and Adelaide. Wests Tigers is a natural candidate for Perth. If the club announced their intention to move to Perth four years in advance, you could build support over that time and the locals would know you are serious. One stipulation would be retaining the colours and logo (maybe with the WARL added at the completion of the move). You would start by playing a couple of games there one year with both teams in town for the week running clinics, establishing corporate ties, forging links with the WARL and so on. The next year, play four games there, including one featuring a big name opponent. The third year play six there with another big name opponent featuring in one of them. As the support grows, get into the schools and establish a junior competition.
In the fourth year, I'd move there fulltime but play two homegames in Sydney on an ongoing basis as a reward for supporters there. Sydney members could be offered deals where they get free admission to these games and the away games the club plays in NSW. Throw in free travel on public transport. The club would train and stay in their old areas (Leichardt and Campbelltown) to run clinics and bolster support.
An important consideration in this prooposal would be NRL TV coveragein WA. I don't know what it's like at the moment but knowing Nein's record, I would suspect that they don't get Friday Night Football at 8.30pm and Sunday afternoon coverage at 4.00pm. If the NRL wanted it to happen, they'd have to get off their arse and enlist the support of their corporate partners, namely Nein. Unless the locals can follow the NRL and their would-be team, the move is likely to falter and fail.
It's not hard, it just requires some imagination and there's a motza to be made, both for the club and the NRL.
Now, I realise I'm probably going to cop some serious vitriol from Tiger supporters and I can only urge them to look at the bigger picture. You still get two home games a year and members get free travel and entry to 10 or so 'away' games in NSW, most in the Sydney area. On top of this, the club will grow bigger and better by broadening its base and opening up a whole new market with an entire state behind them in addition to the support they currently enjoy.
And yeah, there are going to be holes in my plan but it's a blueprint, broad brushstrokes that can be tweaked and fine-tuned to fit the circumstances.
